The Departure of Celebrian
by DCdaydreamer
Summary: Decided to explore this note from the Great Years timeline a bit... nonlinear (so it works backwards as she's remembering and working through the events and then works its way forward to the present again)
1. Chapter 1

...

~One~

The wind had picked up that morning, which she was glad of, for it came warm and clear out of the West. She gazed forward toward it, her lambent hair flapping against her back and shoulders in the slow breeze gleamed softly in the morning sun, which shone dim through ocean mists that fell sweet upon her face. For a moment it lifted the grief that lay heavy on her heart.

They had been drifting upon the sea for a few weeks now. The weather had been holding up rather pleasantly so far. Some of those who chose to accompany her were of her mother's kin that were ready to return to the land from where they had come many ages ago. The excitement among them to reach the ship's destination grew by the day.

On the open sea the sun glittered off the little peaks of the tiny hills that stretched endlessly in every direction. Their blue green color kept a dull sheen except at times of rising and setting of the sun, when they would display hypnotizing beauty, shining with the bright white of the legendary Trees of old then glow gold and orange and red and purple before the stars came out at twilight, twinkling faintly over the shine of black glass splashing softly against the lonely white boat.

As the ship crept toward the Undying Lands the memories that haunted her slowly began to lose their power. The flashes of them grew more dim as the days passed, and she shuddered less frequently when she closed her eyes, as the shadows she left behind in Middle-earth grew further behind. She had never seen their destination before, her mother's homeland, but soon she felt as eager as the others to take in its healing vision of uplifting and everlasting beauty.


	2. Chapter 2

..

~ Two ~

The little realm hidden at the foot of the mountains had hung in silence for days as the Lady of Imladris lay in slumber from utter exhaustion, the shadow of her torment haunting her fevered dreams. The Master of the house had labored long just to bring her mind to a state of rest.

It was not common for elves to take such rest as mortals did, but not unheard of. But an Elf would have endured much toil or torment to reach that point. All he could do now was watch and wait.

His lady daughter would sit long at her mother's side, her grief and distress cast a worrisome shadow over the beauty of her fair face like a veil. There the two held still in waiting, the Evening Star gleaming in the shades of twilight as she sat watch over the resting Sun. For the patient like her own mother's beauty shone as the dawn were in her hair, in her face the vibrant radiance of one between the blossom of youth and weariness of countless years.

The Healer's heart grieved to bear the sight of such sadness and suffering upon the family. All of their subjects kept their vigil in a solemn silence that lay heavy like a gloom of dense fog over the Last Homely House.


	3. Chapter 3

...

~ Three ~

A single Elf who had been bringing up the rear had been struck by an arrow and left for dead. All the horses had been slain or taken, so once the commotion died down he pulled himself back up and slowly made the long journey back to Rivendell on foot. It was several weeks before he arrived back home, very weak with injury himself.

Then swiftly the alarm was sounded throughout the great house. The sons of Elrond could hardly be persuaded to wait for a large enough party to assemble before setting out with all speed. Many of the stoutest warriors among the people of Imladris had hastily volunteered, Erestor and Glorfindel among them.

They hastened forth with such a speed and found the site of the attack in a couple of weeks. But as night was falling they stop to lay hid to wait for any Orcs that might issue from hidden doors in the mountains. After a while they continued, creeping along the path in stealth.

Dawn was breaking in the east when the pass at last began to descend toward the great valley beyond the eastern spurs. They pressed on faster again, searching for a door throughout the rest of that day. It was late afternoon when they were spotted by great eagles espied who flew down to speak with them, and agreed to assist their plight. For they knew the locations of many entrances into the mountains, and led the search party to the nearest one, which they reached in another couple of days.

But the sun by then was setting so they decided to rest hidden down beyond the tree line for the night, and enter the Orc lair when its inhabitants were weakest and more likely to be taking their ease.


	4. Chapter 4

...

~ Four ~

The Lady's escort had been enjoying a very fine spring the whole journey southward all along the foothills of the Misty Mountains and over the Redhorn Pass. The bright skies remained all but clear blue, with not a drop of rain to spoil the road since leaving Rivendell, and all were feeling in high spirits as they turned eastward.

It was the middle of the night under a new moon hidden in shadow when the attack came. The caravan were continuing to march by night, for elves need not the rest of Mortals, and they were anxious to clear the vulnerable position upon the narrow road through the mountains.

Though the guardians of the caravan were of stout and wary warriors among the High Elves they were still taken quite unawares, for the Orcs had many hidden passages throughout the mountains from which they could issue forth quickly. The ambush fell upon them like a sudden waterfall from what looked even to the elves' keen eyes to be small crevices in the rocks high above and sprang up from hidden holes from somewhere behind.

The escort party was not unalert, however, and reacted swiftly. Many Orcs were slain in the initial attack, but then the caravan spurred along the faster, only to run into an even bigger ambush. Many of these Orcs lay hid behind large rocks and boulders, and commenced an onslaught of arrows and darts by which many Elves were felled.

The poison was not over strong, and those not struck by arrows were not dead and were taken captive, including Celebrian the Lady of Imladris.


	5. Chapter 5

...

~ Five ~

The tunnels seemed to go on forever. The warmth of the late spring sunshine quickly turned to a drafty cave chill once inside the closest gate into eastern side of the mountains, which had taken them days to find the closest one to the pass.

The foul air of the Orcs' underground kingdom choked even the cool air of the underground passages. The twins and their comrades kept the special cloaks wrought by their mother's kin wrapped close about them as they made their way in stealth down the dark hallways delving further and further through the roots of the great jagged teeth of rock that towered above their heads outside.

Thus they wandered for days through the black tunnels, winding their way west from the eastern entrance. Every so often they would pass the dim glow of light given by the torch sconces on the tunnel walls, and any stray Orc they encountered was captured for questioning. Invariably these captives would soon hear the sing of a sword pulled from its sheath and be swiftly dispatched, his body then hidden in one of the many side caves and crawl spaces which often even the Orcs themselves did not care to go.

But if any of the party were feeling his energy wane they dared not shame themselves to show it. The determination of their leaders, the Master's two sons, fueled their chase. They had not slowed since leaving Imladris nearly two weeks ago, for word of the battle had already taken many days to reach them after the attack. It had taken a week just to reach the site of slain elves upon the pass, and several more days to follow the Orc trail, which grew weaker toward the east side of the mountains as the terrain grew rockier, until finally the eagles helped them find an entrance into the enemy's underground fortress.

In any case none yet felt particularly fatigued, so anxious were they to reach their destination. For they all felt much the same as the twins, who spurred them onward ever more anxiously as their desperation to find their lady mother grew with each passing day.


	6. Chapter 6

...

~ Six ~

It was the middle of the following night when she at last awoke. It was dark but not cold, for the light of a great bonfire cast a red glow about the cavern in which she found herself.

The fire was quite near to where she lay, which, she found, was a bare iron cage, without enough room to lay nor stand straight at full length. She was still very weak and weary, and shivered in both sweat and chills from the dart wound she had taken. The lady wondered at such sensations as she was experiencing, for the Elves knew no illness.

From thence it need not be told in much depth the horrors she then endured. Much torment with fire, and whips and fire-heated pokers, was inflicted upon her, and also she was forced to witness the males remaining alive from her company endure far harsher treatment as they were slowly tortured until expiring at length from sheer pain and exhaustion. Her ladies had been taken from her sight and were never found again, and she shuddered to think of what that may have endured before meeting their assumed end. She could not guess why she had not yet met a similar fate, and even their ruler down here had not betrayed any plans. Perhaps he had some idea of trying to ransom her for something his realm might care about. She couldn't venture to guess what that could be. Perhaps he simply thought to lengthen the suffering of a captive of such rank as much as possible to simply spite their enemies the further.

At length they committed her to a small dark cell even farther toward the roots of the mountains. The poison persisted still, and there her illness worsened, as she lay for days on the cold bare floor in the tattered remains of the garments she'd been wearing as her caravan crossed the mountain pass. She lay longing for the sight of the stars, and the air so musk and chill she could but imagine futilely the clear morning air filling her lungs and the warmth of new risen sun upon her face.

Indeed the dungeons were so cold she almost missed the heat of the fire with which they tormented her and her comrades. And it was so dark and quiet that she could see only visions of her children and lord husband, who appeared as naught but fleeting phantoms in fevered dreams. Once a day appeared only a cup of foul water, heel of stale bread, and slice of meat she dared not touch. While elves can last longer without food than mortals, she knew she could not live forever on such a diet.

She was unsure of how long she'd been trapped there under the mountains, and soon became so ill she suspected the end of her story grew near. If hadn't already, for she lay in the cold dark quiet so long she started to become unsure if she still lay yet alive in this world.


	7. Chapter 7

...

~ Seven ~

The search party reached the great central den of the Orc kingdom that ruled this part of the mountains. It was empty at this time, for the Orcs were scattered elsewhere in the tunnels at this time when they took their rest and relaxation.

The embers of the fire glowed faintly and the great cavern was very dim. They approached it with the utmost silence, their Elf cloaks wrapping close round them. To their horror they took in the sight of charred remains of bones amid the smoldering pile of wood and charcoal. Nearby was the cage, it's gate open, with torn scraps of fine elven dress that could be found here and there within.

The brothers were stricken, one sank to his knees in horror and the other gripped the cage door to steady himself in his fury. It was all the others could do to try and keep them from betraying their presence there. They managed to keep mastery of themselves, but a vengeful fire kindled in their eyes.

Glorfindel kept his wits about him, and had wandered off to inspect the cavern. He passed a couple of tunnel entrances, pausing to listen, and coming upon a third halted at the sound of voices approaching.

They rest of the party turned their attention to the tunnel entrance and quickly surrounded it. As they approached they overheard the end of the conversation in the wretched Orc tongue that among the rescue party Glorfindel understood:

"Why ain't the King killed her off yet?"

"Beats me, I only take orders. Why don't you wake him up and ask him if you wanna know so badly?"

Then the conversation was ended by the Elf lord dispatching one with a sword through the neck. In an instant he pounced upon the other, the sword to his throat. "Where is she?" he commanded in a harsh whisper.

The remaining Orc was startled but quickly regathered his wits and stared defiantly in silence at his captor. But the brothers rushed up, and one laid hands on him, and the captive was cowed by the rage in his eyes. He began to tremble and feared even to speak, torn between fear of his captors and fear of his leader. But his nervous eyes betrayed him, their glance flashing to a tunnel entrance at the far side of the cavern.

Aware of his failure the captive then attempted to redeem himself before he met his now soon expected end by one hand or another, the enemy or his superiors, and attempted to let out a scream.

This was quickly stifled by the first captor making good on the threat posed by his sword.

Swiftly the elves filed into the next tunnel and followed it down as it went even further into the roots of the mountains. Down it sloped without turn or curve, until at last it opened into a room with several doors and a pair of guards, who were felled with arrows before they realized enemies were upon them.

At last they found the Lady, laying witless and fevered at death's door. The one brother administered to her some miruvor, and her shivering calmed, and wrapping her up in another cloak carried her out. But returning to the cavern, they did discover more Orcs had indeed been alerted by the noise, and reached the central room, but they were yet few in number.

Archers among the elf team had remained behind a ways in the last tunnel, and were ready, and took them down before the rest exited the tunnel. Wrapped tight in their cloaks the files back across into the tunnel from which they had come.

The group wondered at the lack of resistance they had encountered thus far, but this only served to heighten their wariness and spur them on the faster. For a while they continued on undisturbed but soon began to hear a commotion growing behind them.

They picked up the pace. At this point the rescuers knew not how long they had even been wandering through the mountains nor even what time of day or night they might find upon reaching the exit. Now they had only to remember the way they came, to which more than a few of them had paid careful attention.

It still took many hours of hurrying back westward through the tunnels, nearly a day maybe but who could tell, all the while they heard the raucous commotion of the roused Orcs trailing still distant but also not comfortably far behind. At long last the party came in sight of a tiny bright spot in the distance, the unmistakable presence of daylight. Already going very fast, they quickened their pace.

Finally they burst out of the exit, all very relieved to have cleared the dreadful Orc den but knowing they could not halt until they at least reached the tree line a ways off where they had left a guard posted to keep the horses.

To their dismay the light as seen in the tunnel had not the same brightness outside of it, for it was already late afternoon and the sun was waning in the sky. One noticed eagles circling up very high in the sky. Down they descended across the rocky sides of the upper foothills until at last reaching the cover of the pines.


	8. Chapter 8

...

~ Eight ~

Almost as soon as they reached the cover of the trees, an array of figures suddenly emerged from hiding spots within the shade of the canopy.

Cousins and distant kin had arrived out of Lorien, thanks to messages borne by the Eagles, making the journey North while the rescue party hunted beneath the mountains.

At last the rescue party felt secure in stopping a moment. A small team from the reinforcements out of Lorian took the victim and bore her swiftly away to the south. The two brothers now turned back to pursue their vengeance on their enemies. As the sun set yet more reinforcements were arriving over the pass from Rivendell. As night set in they quickly organized, and waited.

Just an hour after the moon rose the Orcs began to issue out of the door which the rescue team had exited earlier that day, and also out of hidden passages along the pass upon which they guessed the rescue party would be fleeing.

But the opposition was ready this time. Ambushes were set near to the main exit, and at many places along the pass, where they watched and waited. They waited until very many came and were heading down the eastern side of the mountains down from hidden passages high above the pass. At last they began firing, dozens and dozens of archers, from their hiding places up and behind the trees and boulders. Many Orcs fell, so many that in short order a retreat ensued, and then the Elves sprung out from hiding places along the ground. So many Elves charged to attack, so large an ambush had been staged, that nearly all of the Orcs who had issued from the mountains were run down and slain in short order.

Still they charged, the forces of the two realms joined and continued on back into the tunnel passages leading down into the heart of the mountains. Thus they continued for days until that Orc kingdom by the Redhorn Pass was all but wiped out of existence; cut down to but a straggling few remaining that managed to hide successfully, out of the vast numbers that had grown there over the years.


End file.
